An empirical study on the relationships between process safety, accident numbers and technical safety investments

This study conducts an in-depth examination of the relationship between occupational health and safety and process safety concepts, emphasizing the critical importance of enhancing process safety in large industrial facilities. The primary objective of this thesis is to elucidate the relationship between process safety, workplace accidents occurring within facilities, and the technical safety investments made in this domain. The thesis is organized into four chapters. The first chapter provides definitions of occupational health and safety and process safety, along with a discussion of the measures undertaken to promote a culture of occupational health and safety in Turkey and the significance of applications within the chemical sector. The second chapter explores the concepts of accidents and risks, presenting detailed information on types of workplace accidents, process accidents, and risk management. The third chapter focuses on process safety management, comparing various safety management models and risk-based process safety approaches. The fourth chapter outlines the aim, scope, and methodology of the research, along with information regarding survey data and its analysis. The research aims to investigate the positive correlation between the levels of process safety in companies and the frequency of workplace accidents, as well as the technical safety investments made, utilizing dimensions such as leadership, incident investigation, training, process hazard analysis, and emergency response. The survey instrument was developed in accordance with the API 581 guidelines, and data were collected using a five-point Likert scale. The collected data facilitated the analysis of relationships between companies' process safety practices, the frequency of workplace accidents, and the safety investments undertaken. The findings indicate that the effective implementation of process safety elements significantly contributes to reducing workplace accidents and enhancing safety investments within enterprises. This study underscores the critical importance of strengthening process safety from a sustainability perspective, aiming to illuminate applications in relevant sectors.